Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

I started this morning by marking the stud positions I need by spotting the cylinder casting using a clearance drill in the steam chest holes as this is the most accurate way. Then I drilled and tapped 20 stud holes 6BA and that has taken up all the time I had in there. I think I have them right!

[BobH]

I’m not sure about Kenyons, Stanley. I wonder if they changed the name to differentiate from Kennions in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire who are still going.

[Stanley]

This morning was making studs, fitting them and using them to hold the steam chests down on to the cylinder. These don't need to come off again as far as I can see. I got one end done and started on the other end, getting 4 studs in place. I know exactly what I am doing tomorrow!

[Stanley]

Only one image needed. I made the last studs for the steam chests and lids and fitted them before early doors shopping. I shall have to look at fitting lids to cylinder block and the pump....

[Stanley]

I'm sure you all realise why the shed has been silent. It's too bloody hot in there. It looks as though it will cool down today and that will be welcome. I shall take a view on that tomorrow....

[Stanley]

No actual machining this morning. I wanted to find out about the glands I needed to make for the lids on the pump and the steam cylinder. Easier said then done, Mr Westbury's drawings are neither clear or comprehensive. I have the measurements and I have done a fag packet drawing and found some brass ends I can use as stock. That took me over an hour.....

[Stanley]

I had a look in a treasure chest upstairs and found a stick of 1/2" brass. just right so it makes my job easier. I decided I wanted to check the lids I was making glands for so I stripped the pump down and measured them. Good job I did. The drawings specify ME thread 3/8" X 32tpi but whoever did this originally mustn't have had one, only a very worn 3/8" X 26tpi die so I re-cut the threads with a better die and found the drill and tap for 3/8" X 26tpi. As you can see I am set up now for gland nut manufacture tomorrow.
PS. Note that I am using Johnny's Taylor chuck, a rare beast these days as the firm is long gone but a very good and popular chuck in their day.

[Stanley]

I cracked on for an hour making gland nuts, I got three done and the fourth almost finished....

[Stanley]

I started the morning by finishing the last gland nut and then I looked at fitting the countersunk screws that fasten the delivery plates on the pump casting. I have managed to find some in my stocks but not enough so I shall have to buy some. Not as easy as it looks because they are all different lengths and each has to be adjusted in length to get a fit. Remember this is working with 6BA screws which takes me to my limit with my eyes..... I almost managed to do an hour and a half but not quite. A morning for exercising patience...... But we have progress and no mistakes.

[Stanley]

I can't go any further with installing the csk screws until the new supply arrives this week. So I went on to marking drilling and tapping for the bottom lids of the pump. I finished with all the holes drilled and I shall complete tapping them tomorrow. A quiet and productive hour.

[Stanley]

Just one image covers this morning. I finished the tapping of the holes for the bottom lids on the pump. Then i found 6BA set screws and cut them down to the size I needed. I had to skim the periphery of the second lid to get it to fit. This is where I reached the pain threshold in my shoulder! I have all the set screws installed except for the last three. I shall move forward tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I started this morning by finishing fitting the 6BA bolts to the bottom lids on the pump. Then I looked at doing the same for the top lids. This meant I had to have the pump pistons and rods in place. That was when I hit a problem. The original machinist had made a bit of a horlicks of the rods and the pistons, many measurements were wrong. So I got the drawings out and soon realised that in order to get them to fit I would have to re-make them. I have already taken the decision not to make this into a working unit but to assemble it so that it can look complete and be capable of finishing to running standard if any future owner wants to. So I am fitting the lids with only the rods in place, no pistons. Next job was to polish the rods and find the 6BA bolts for the lids.
I finished at the point where these need fitting..... It's not perfect but it's progress!

[Stanley]

I carried on installing bolts on the pump top lids. Each hole had to be re-tapped first. Note that the csk screws arrived yesterday and are there ready to finish the last cover in place. A quiet but painful hour and a half. The physical actions are evidently the worst I could possible be doing for my bad shoulder. Only one thing to do, keep buggering on!

[Stanley]

I re-tapped all the holes for the csk 6BA screws and cleaned the countersinks out as well. Then I fitted the screws in the cover plate and looked at the two small outlets on the front cover plate of the pump. One on the top and one in the front between the two main outlets. The drawings don't show clearly what is installed here so I am going to thread them and install stub pipes.
The size that fits is 7/32" X 40tpi. So I have found the appropriate tap and die. I am ready for tomorrow......

[Stanley]

I had my hour in the shed and tapped the two holes in the pump casing, made two stubs threaded to 7/32" X 40tpi and fitted them. I have another large hole in the pump to fill. I shall have to look to see if I can find what it is!

[Stanley]

I got some help from the ME articles this morning when I trawled through them in conjunction with the drawings. The 7/16" hole in the end is the water inlet into the pump. My thoughts are to populate the hole with something that fits the bill but not to spoil the casting for anyone who wants to do it differently. The thread that fits the hole closest is 1/2" X 12tpi Whitworth so that's what I used to fill the hole.
Then I looked at the feed pump which has to go on the opposite end of the pump body. I found the drawings for it and can do the basic machining on the pump and fit it. The elephant in the room is the eccentric rods from the eccentric behind the flywheel that serve the steam valve on the engine and the feed pump. The drawings don't show any means of accepting the oscillation that comes with any eccentric. It's as if it is simply allowed to be allowed for by play in the glands. I hope that this eventually becomes clear....... For the time being I shall carry on with what I do understand. I told you this was a complicated little bugger!

[Stanley]

Today is work on the feed pump that will be bolted to the end of the pump and driven from the eccentric on the crankshaft. I have threaded to various apertures, fitted the 4BA bleed screw that plugs the front of the casting, drilled the holes for the 6BA screws which will bolt it to the pump. I have found a casting I can use to make the flanges for the inlet and outlet. Lots left to do, the glands and unions. I shall go quietly forward tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

Not a great deal to report this morning. I want to make the small parts that go with the feed pump and I was sure I had some Hexagon brass bar that was just the ticket. I spent half an hour looking for it and drew a blank. I found sticks of the other two bars I wanted, one 3/8" and the other 1/2". By this time I had spent almost an hour and was losing the will to live..... So a short morning in the shed. (I'm still convinced I have that 3/8" hex somewhere!)

[Stanley]

The moral of this story is that if you haven't got the piece of hexagon bar you need, just set to and make one. The second pic is where I ended up with the gland fitted. Only a small bit but it took an hour....

[Stanley]

Two more tiny fittings made for the feed pump. I'm ready to make the two flanges for the remaining outlets.

[Stanley]

Straight into making two small flanges. The pictures tell the story. Tomorrow I shall finish getting the shape into them and than cut them out of the casting and adjust the thickness. Slow but steady and the limiting factor is pain in my shoulder. I can do just over an hour and then I have to stop.

[Stanley]

The first pic is a set of Stuart wobbler castings for when I finish the fire pump, or as far as I am prepared to go with it. The other pics tell the story, quiet progress towards the flanges needed for the feed pump. Less than an hour because I had early doors shopping to do.

[Stanley]

I considered further refining the shape of the glands but then decided I'd leave them to my successor as he might have better eyesight than me. Good call and I quietly went forward, drilled and tapped for 6BA and fitted the gland plates. Now I'm ready to attach the feed pump to the main pump.

[Stanley]

Just one pic tells the story. The pump body drilled and tapped and the feed pump bolted on the end of the main pump body. Not sure where I go next.....

[Stanley]

I started the day by cleaning Mrs Harrison, she has been neglected of late.... Then I put the pump together for a trial fit up which gives me a better idea of what I need to do. I looked at the ME articles as well and tried to make sense of the eccentrics. Unfortunately I didn't learn anything. I think I will have to leave the eccentrics and concentrate on the steam and pump rods that run on the crankshaft I made.